Ukraine: No Longer Willing

Another state member of the "coalition of the willing" has decided to withdraw its troops from Iraq. This time, it is the Ukraine. Today's Post has the story:

The government of Ukraine, acting a day after an explosion killed eight of its soldiers in Iraq, announced Monday that it would withdraw its 1,650-member force by the middle of 2005.

Two recent events may have spurred this action, which had been expected.

One, 8 Ukrainian soldiers were killed Monday, which nearly doubled the state's casualties in the war.

Two, Ukraine is getting a new President. He may be more pro-western than his predecessor, but this apparently signals some tension with US policy in the war on terror.

Previously, I've noted some other states who withdrew from the coalition.